First Nations Voice to Parliament

We acknowledge that wherever we are in Australia, we are on stolen land, and that the sovereignty of the First Nations people of this land was never ceded (given over).

At Utp, we work from Dharug land. We celebrate Dharug ancestors and we are grateful for the continuing custodianship of this area. We pay our respect to all elders and First Nations people and respect their continued sovereignty of this whole country.

We believe the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a generous invitation from First Peoples across Australia, to walk together towards a future we can all be proud of.

A Voice to parliament is the first step outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Establishing a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution will support First Nations self-determination and lead us to Makarrata (the coming together after a struggle). The First Nations Voice is simply an advisory body.

Utp supports the YES vote in the Voice referendum.

At Utp we have a deep commitment to all First Nations artists who have been and continue to be a key part of Utp’s community. We acknowledge the complexity of this referendum and that it has been incredibly hard on community.

This is not the first time. We acknowledge the strength of First Nations communities in advocating, marching and agitating for self-determination, we remember that it was First Nations people who fought for and won the 1967 Referendum, the most successful Yes vote in Australian history.

“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who met to forge the Uluru Statement from the heart were cultural experts. They didn’t always agree but they produced the most beautifully written peace document I have ever read. A piece of art as well as a robust statement of the national situation. And it was full of love.” Bruce Pascoe (2023)

We encourage everyone to learn more about the proposed Voice to Parliament and what the upcoming referendum means for First Nations peoples in Australia, both now and for generations to come.

Resources

Translations for the Uluru statement from the heart are available in:

More languages available at: https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/translations/

Other resources

First Nations counseling service 13YARN

Research

First Nations Voice to Parliament